When military personnel conduct missions in contaminated environments, there is an eminent need for a decontamination system for the electronic equipment used to support the missions. The ability to maintain material integrity of sensitive electronic devices is a key attribute of any decontamination system. This is particularly true in view of the high cost associated with such electronic devices. In addition, the decontamination system should be transportable with minimal impact to the mission.
Radiation sterilization is generally much less disturbing than using either reactive oxidizers like chlorine or high temperature autoclaving. For instance, quartz-jacketed mercury lamps emitting 254 nm ultraviolet light are effective surface sterilizers, but unfortunately the light cannot penetrate even a single sheet of paper. In contrast, decontamination by 10 MeV electron beams used by the U.S. Postal Service, causes significant damage to the target and requires expensive and cumbersome fixed infrastructure (facilities, power, and shielding).
Soft x-ray radiation offers an efficient, non-destructive, cold, chemical-free sterilization method. However, there is a need to tailor this approach for decontamination of electronic equipment. The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.